A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Tye, Christopher

TYE, Christopher, Mus. Doc., born in Westminster in the early part of the 16th century, was a chorister and afterwards a gentleman of the Chapel Royal. He graduated as Mus. Bac. at Cambridge in 1536. From 1541 to 1562 he was organist of Ely Cathedral. In 1545 he proceeded Mus. Doc. at Cambridge, and in 1548 was admitted ad eundem at Oxford. He translated the first 14 chapters of the Acts of the Apostles into metre, set them to music, and published them in 1553, with the curious title of 'The Actes of the Apostles, translated into Englyshe metre, and dedicated to the kynges moste excellent maiestye, by Christofer Tye, Doctor in musyke, and one of the gentylmen of hys graces most honourable Chappell, wyth notes to eche Chapter, to synge and also to play upon the Lute, very necessarye for studentes after theyr studye to fyle thyr wyttes, and alsoe for all Christians that cannot synge to reade the good and Godlye storyes of the lives of Christ hys Apostles.' Tye's verses are of the Sternhold and Hopkins order: his music for them most excellent. Hawkins printed the music for the beginning of the 14th chapter (a masterly canon), in his History, chap. xxv. the first stanza of which is a fair sample of Tye's versification:—

It chanced in Inconium
⁠As they oft times dyd use,
Together they into dyd cum
⁠The Sinagoge of Jues.

Some of the music of the Acts of the Apostles has been adapted by Oliphant and others to passages from the Psalms. Three anthems by Tye were printed in Barnard's Church Music, one of which was also printed in Boyce's Cathedral Music; another anthem was printed in Page's Harmonia Sacra, and his Evening Service in G minor in Rimbault's Cathedral Music. An anthem is in the Tudway collection (Harl. MS. 7341), and motets and anthems by him exist in MS. in the Music School and at Christ Church, Oxford. The Gloria of his mass 'Euge bone' is printed by Burney (Hist. ii. 589) and reprinted in Hullah's 'Vocal Scores.' It was sung by Hullah's Upper Schools at St. Martin's Hall, and proved both melodious and interesting. Tye taught Edward VI. music. He died about 1580. He was introduced as one of the characters of Samuel Rowley's play, 'When you see me you know me, or, The Famous Chronicle Historie of King Henry VIII. with the Birth and Virtuous Life of Edward, Prince of Wales,' 1605. In this play occurs the following curious anticipation of a phrase well known in reference to Farinelli:—

England one God, one truth, one doctor hath
For Musicke's art, and that is Doctor Tye,
Admired for skill in musicke's harmony.

Antony Wood attributes to him the recovery of English church music after it had been almost ruined by the dissolution of the monasteries. [See Schools of Composition, iii. 272b.]

[ W. H. H. ]

Appendix:

TYE, Christopher. Add that Tye was in orders, and held successively the rectories of Little Wilbraham, Newton, and Doddington-cum-March. By a brief relating to sequestrations of benefices it appears that he was at Wilbraham in 1564; on Sept. 12, 1567, John Walker was presented to the living on his resignation. On March 15, 1570, the rectory of Newton was conferred on George Bacon on Tye's resignation, and on March 15, 1572, Hugh Bellet was presented to the living of Doddington-cum-March on the death of Tye. His will has not been discovered. An Agnes Tye, who was possibly his daughter, was married at Little Wilbraham on Nov. 20, 1575, to John Horner, and the register contains several entries of their children's baptisms. (Coles's Transcript of Bishop Cox's Register, British Museum; Register of Little Wilbraham, kindly communicated by the Rev. F. C. Marshall.)

[ W. B. S. ]